CIHM 
Microfiche 
Series 
(Monographs) 


ICMH 

Collection  de 
microfiches 
(monographies) 


lii 


Canadian  Inatltiita  for  Historical  MIcraraproduetiora  /  InstHut  Canadian  da  mleroraproduetlona  hittoriquaa 


995 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  technique  et  biWiographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
may  be  bibliographically  unique,  which  may  alter  any  of 
the  images  in  the  reproduction,  or  which  may 
significantly  change  the  usual  method  of  filming  are 
checked  below. 


0 


n 


D 


Cotourad  coveis  / 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I     I     Coveis  damaged  / 

' — '     Couverture  endommag*e 

I     I     Covers  restored  an*or  laminated  / 
—      Couverture  restaur«e  et/ou  pellicuMe 

I     I     Cover  title  mit;lng/Le  litre  de  couverture  manque 
I     I     ColcirBd  maps  /  Cartes  gtographiques  en  couleur 

[yf     Coloured  inl<(i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

FT'     Cokxired  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
' — '      Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

I     1      Bound  with  other  material/ 

Reli*  avec  d'autres  documents 


Only  editkHi  available  / 
Seule  Mition  disponlble 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  Interior  margin  /  La  reliure  serr^e  peut 
causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la  distorsbn  le  long  de 
la  marge  jnterieure. 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoratkms  may  appear 
within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have 
been  omitted  from  liming  /  II  se  peut  que  certaines 
pages  blanches  ajouttes  tors  d'une  restauration 
apparaissent  dans  le  texte,  mais,  kxsque  cela  «tait 
,  ces  pages  n'cnt  pas  et«  fHrn^es. 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  examplaire  qu'il  lui  a 
M6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cet  exem- 
plaire  qui  sont  peut-«tre  uniques  du  point  de  vue  bibli- 
ographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modifications  dans  la  m6th- 
ode  normale  de  filmage  sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 

I     I      Cotoured  pages/ Pages  de  couleur 

I     I      Pages  damaged/ Pages  endommagees 

I     I      Pages  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
— '      Pages  restaurees  et/ou  pellcuMes 


0 


Pages  discotoured,  stained  or  foxed  / 
Pages  decotorees,  tacheties  ou  piqutes 


I     I      Pages  detached/ Pages  d*tach«es 

fT-     Showthrough  /  Transparence 

I     I      Quality  of  print  varies/ 

' — '     QualM  inigale  de  rimpiesskm 

r~|      Includes  supplementary  material/ 
—      Comprend  du  materiel  suppWmentaire 

I  I  Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image  /  Les  pages 
totalement  ou  partiellement  obscurcles  par  un 
feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure,  etc.,  ont  ete  filmees 
a  nouveau  de  fa$on  k  obtenir  la  meilleure 
image  possible. 

I  I  Opposing  pages  with  varying  colouration  or 
discolouiations  are  filmed  twice  to  ensure  the 
best  possible  image  /  Les  pages  s'opposant 
ayant  des  colorations  variables  ou  des  decol- 
oratnns  sont  filmtes  deux  fois  afin  d'obtenir  la 
meilleur  image  possible. 


I     I     Addffional  comments/ 

' — '      Commentairessuppiementaires: 


Thii  Itm  is  fihTMd  at  tlw  rtduetion  ratio  ehaekad  balow/ 

Ct  documant  an  f  ilmi  au  <au«  da  rMuction  indiqirf  ci-desMus. 

lox  14X  lax 


SX 


12X 


16X 


2CX 


»x 


u 


32X 


Th«  copy  fllmad  h«r*  hat  bacn  raproduead  thanha 
to  itia  ganarnity  of: 


McMastar  University 
Hamilton,  Ontario 


Tha  imagat  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  qiialltv 
poaaibla  canaidaring  tha  condition  and  laglbility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  liaaping  with  tha 
fliming  eontraet  apaelfieationa. 


Original  eopiaa  in  printad  papar  eovara  ara  fUmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  eovar  and  anding  on 
tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  impraa- 
aion.  or  tha  back  eovar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  coplaa  ara  fllmad  baginning  on  tha 
firat  paga  with  a  printad  or  illuatratad  Impraa- 
aion.  and  anding  on  tha  iaat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  illuatratad  impraaaion. 


Tha  iaat  racordad  frama  on  aaeh  microficha 
ahaii  contain  tha  symbol  — ^(moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  aymboi  ▼  Imaaning  "END"), 
whiehavar  appliaa. 

Mapa.  piataa,  cham.  ate.  may  ba  fllmad  at 
diffarant  raduetion  ratioa.  Thoaa  too  iarga  to  ba 
antiraiy  inetudad  in  ona  axpoaura  ara  fllmad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  iaft  hand  eornar,  iaft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framaa  aa 
raquirad.  Tha  following  diagrama  illuatrata  tha 
-iBathod: 


1  2  3 


1  2 

4  5 


L'aiamplair*  film*  ful  raproduil  grie*  t  la 
gtnArotiU  da: 

McMastar  University 
Hamilton,  Ontario 

Laa  imagat  iuivantaa  ont  M  raproduiiat  avae  la 
plua  grand  tain,  eompta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattat*  da  raxamplaira  film*,  at  an 
oonformlta  avae  laa  eondltiona  du  eontrat  da 
fllmaga. 

Laa  axamplalraa  origlnaui  dont  la  couvartura  an 
papiar  aat  Imprimto  font  fllmto  an  commandant 
par  la  pramlar  plat  at  an  tarmlnant  toit  par  la 
darnitra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'Impraaalon  ou  d'llluatrailon.  toit  par  la  lacond 
plat,  talon  la  caa.  Tout  lat  autraa  axamplairat 
originaux  torn  fllmto  an  commandant  par  la 
pramltra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'Impraaalon  ou  d'illuttration  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  darnMra  paga  qui  comporta  una  talla 
amprainta. 

Un  daa  aymbolaa  tuivantt  apparaltra  tur  la 
darnitra  imaga  da  chaqua  microficha,  talon  la 
cat:  la  aymbola  —^  lignifit  "A  SUIVRE",  la 
tymbola  ▼  tignifia  "FIN". 

Lat  eartaa.  planchat,  tablaaux.  ate.  pauvant  itra 
fllmto  1  daa  taux  da  rMuction  dlfftrantt. 
Lortqua  la  documant  atl  trop  grand  pour  ttra 
raproduit  an  un  taul  cllcM.  il  aat  filma  A  partir 
da  I'angla  tupiriaur  gaucha,  da  gaucha  i  droita. 
at  da  haul  an  baa.  an  pronant  la  nombra 
d'imagm  ntoaataira.  Laa  diagrammat  tuivantt 
illuatrant  la  mdtfioda. 


2 

3 

5 

6 

MKIOCOrY  HOOIUTION  TBT  OUVT 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CNMT  No.  2) 


/APPLIED  M/OE     Ine 

r-        1SS3  tati  Main  StrMt 

j£        RochMtcr.  H*w  York        14«09       USA 

(71 6)  482  -  0300  -  Phona 

(71S)  28a -»8B  -Fov 


*i 


% 


t 


"Hjradmlw  laid  U*  chMk 
whtt*  th*  bagranct  caucbt  tali 


in 


MAigOiUE  L  C  PKKTHAU. 


V 


1*14 

EVERYLAND 

IMF1tkA««M 


THE  WORKER  IN  SANDALWOOD 


<i 


THE  WORKER 

IN 
SANDALWOOD 


good  cure  of  Tenninai- 
son  says  that  this  tale  of 
Hyacinthe's  is  all  a  dream. 
But  then  Madame  points  triumphantly  to 
the  little  cabinet  of  sandalwood  in  the  cor- 
ner of  her  loom.  It  has  stood  there  for 
many  years  now,  and  the  dust  has  gath- 
ered in  the  fine  lines  of  the  little  birds' 
feathers,  and  softened  the  petals  of  the 
lilies  carved  at  the  comers.  And  the 
wooc  has  taken  on  a  golden  gleam  like 
the  memory  of  a  sunset. 

"What  of  that  my  friend?"  says  Mad- 
ame, pointing  to  the  cabinet.  And  the 
old  cure  bows  his  head. 

"It  may  be  so.  God  is  very  good," 
he  says  gently.  But  he  is  never  quite  sure 
what  he  may  believe. 


On  that  winter  day  long  ago,  Hya- 
cinthe  was  quite  lure  of  one  thing,  and 
that  was  that  the  worUiop  was  very  cold. 
There  was  no  fire  in  it,  and  only  one  little 
lamp  when  the  early  dark  drew  on.  The 
tools  were  so  cold  they  scorched  his  fin- 
gers, and  his  feet  were  so  cold  he  danced 
clumsily  in  the  shavings  to  warm  them. 
He  was  a  great  clumsy  boy  of  fourteen, 
dark-faced,  dull-eyed,  and  uncared  for. 
He  was  clumsy  because  it  is  impossible  to 
be  graceful  when  you  are  growing  very 
fast  and  have  not  enough  to  eat.  He  was 
dull-eyed  because  all  eyes  met  his  unlov- 
ingly.  He  was  uncared  for  because  no 
one  knew  the  beauty  of  his  soul.  But  his 
heavy  young  hands  could  carve  things  like 
birds  and  flowers  perfectly.  On  this  win- 
ter evening  he  was  just  wondering  if  he 
mi^t  lay  aside  the  tools,  and  creep  home 
to  the  cold  loft  where  he  slept,  when  he 
heard  Pierre  L'Oreillard's  voice  shouting 
outside. 

"Be  quick,  be  quick,  and  open  the 
door,  thou  iV  decile.    It  is  I,  thy  master." 

"Our,  mon  mdilre,"  said  Hyacinthe, 
and  he  shambled  to  the  door  and  opened 
it. 


^.^ 


iii: 


"Slow  wonni"  cried  Pierre,  and  he'^S^ 
cutfed  Hyacindie  as  he  passed  in.  Hya-  ^ 
cinthe  nibbed  his  head  and  said  nothing. 
He  was  used  to  blows.  He  wondered 
why  his  master  was  in  the  workshop  at 
that  time  of  day  instead  of  drinking 
I  randy  at  the  Cinq  Chateaux. 

Pierre  L'Oreillard  had  a  small  heavy 
bundle  under  his  ann,  wrapped  in  sack- 
ing, and  then  in  burlap,  and  then  in  line 
soft  cloths.  He  laid  it  on  a  pile  of  shav- 
ings, and  unfolded  it  carefully;  and  a  dim 
sweetness  filled  the  dark  shed  and  hung 
heavily  in  the  thin  winter  sunbeams. 

"It  is  a  piece  of  wood,"  said  Hya- 
cinthe  in  slow  surprise.  He  knew  that 
such  wood  had  never  been  seen  in  Ter- 
minaison. 

Pierre  L'Oreillard  rubbed  the  wood 
respectfully  with  his  knobby  fingers. 

"It  is  sandalwood,"  he  explained  to 
Hyacinthe,  pride  of  knowledge  making 
him  quite  amiable,  "a  most  precious  wood 
that  glows  in  wami  countries,  thou  great 
goblin.  Smell  it,  idiot.  It  is  sweeter  than 
cedar.  It  is  to  make  a  cabinet  for  the  old 
Madame  at  the  big  house." 


iif 


"Be  quick,  ie  Quick '"«'  open 
the  door,  thou  imbecile.  It  is 
I,  thji  master." 


i^ 


"Out,  mon  maitre,"  laid  the  dull  Hya- 
cinthe. 

"Thy  great  hands  ihall  ihape  and 
•mooth  the  wood,  nigaud,  and  I  will  ren- 
der it  beautiful,"  said  Pierre,  puffing  out 
his  chest. 

"Yes,  master,"  answered  Hyacinthe 
humbly,  "and  when  is  it  to  be  ready  for 
Madame?" 

"Madame  will  want  it  peihaps  next 
week,  for  that  is  Christmas.  It  is  to  be 
finished  and  ready  on  the  holy  festival, 
great  sluggard.  Hearest  thou>"  and  he 
cutfed  Hyacinthe's  ears  again  furiously. 

Hyacinthe  knew  that  the  making  of  the 
cabinet  would  fall  to  him,  as  most  of  the 
other  work  did.  When  Pierre  L'Oreil- 
lard  was  gone  he  touched  the  strange 
sweet  wood  and  at  last  laid  his  cheek 
against  it,  while  the  f  rangrance  caught  his 
breath.  "How  it  is  beautiful ! "  said  Hya- 
cinthe, and  for  a  moment  his  eyes  glowed, 
and  he  was  happy.  Then  the  light  passed, 
and  with  bent  head  he  shuffled  back  to 
his  bench  through  a  foam  of  white  shav- 
ings curling  almost  to  his  knees. 

"Madame  will  want  the  cabinet  for 
Christmas,"  repeated  Hyacinthe  to  him- 


lelf,  and  fell  to  woik  harder  than  ever, 
though  it  wa$  lo  cold  in  the  ahed  that  hit 
breath  hung  id  the  air  like  a  Uttle  lilveiy 
cloud.  There  wat  a  tiny  window  on  hit 
right,  through  which,  when  it  wat  clear  of 
frott,  one  looked  on  Terminaiton;  and 
that  wat  cheerful,  and  made  him  whittle. 
But  to  the  left,  through  the  chink  of  the 
ill-6tting  door,  there  wat  nothing  to  be 
teen  but  the  forett,  and  the  road  dying 
away  in  it,  and  the  treet  moving  heavily 
under  the  tnow. 

Brandy  Wat  good  at  the  Cinq  Cha- 
teaux and  Pierre  L'Oreillard  gave  Hya- 
cinthe  plenty  of  direction!,  but  no  furdier 
help  with  the  cabinet. 

"That  it  to  be  finished  for  Madame  at 
the  festival,  sluggard,"  said  he  every  day, 
cuffing  Hyacmthe  about  the  head,  "fin- 
ished, and  with  a  prettinett  about  the  cor- 
ners, heaiest  thou,  ounonf" 

"Yes,  monsieur,"  said  Hyacinthe  in  his 
slow  way;  "I  will  try  to  finish  it.  But  if 
I  hurry  I  shall  spoil  it." 

Pierre's  little  eyes  flickered.  "See  that 
it  is  done,  and  done  properly.  I  suffer 
from  a  delicacy  of  the  constitution  and  a 
little  feebleness  of  the  legs  these  days,  to 


*i 


iij 


iliat  I  cannot  handle  the  tools  properiy.  I 
mutt  leave  diii  work  to  thee,  gieheur. 
And  stand  up  and  touch  a  hand  to  thy 
cap  when  I  ipeak  to  thee,  »Iow-wonn." 

"Yet,  montieur,"  said  Hyacindie 
wearily. 

It  it  hard  to  do  all  the  work  and  to  be 
beaten  into  the  bargain.  And  fourteen  it 
not  very  old.  Hyacindie  worked  on  at 
tlie  cabinet  with  hit  tlow  and  exquitite 
ikill.  But  on  Chriitmai  eve  he  was  ttill 
a  work,  and  the  cabinet  unfinithed. 

"The  nutter  will  beat  me,"  thought 
Hyacinthe,  and  he  trembled  a  little,  for 
Pierre't  beatingt  were  cruel.  "But  if  I 
hurry,  I  tiiall  tpoil  the  wood,  and  it  it  too 
beautiful  to  be  ipoiled." 

But  he  trembled  again  when  Pierre 
came  into  the  workdiop,  and  he  ttood  up 
and  touched  hit  cap. 

"It  the  cabinet  finished,  imbecile?" 
asked  Pierre.  And  Hyacinthe  antwered 
in  a  low  voice,  "No,  it  it  not  finithed  yet, 
monsieur." 

"Then  work  on  it  all  night,  and  show  it 
to  me  completed  in  the  morning,  or  thy 
bones  shall  mourn  thine  idleness,"  said 
Pierre,  with  a  wicked  look  in  his  little 


cya.  And  he  ihut  Hyacinihe  into  ihe 
ihed  with  a  imoky  lamp,  hi*  tools,  and 
the  sandalwood  cabinet. 

It  was  nothing  unusual.  He  had  been 
often  left  before  to  finish  a  piece  of  work 
overnight  while  Pierre  went  otf  to  his 
brandies.  But  this  was  Christmas  eve, 
and  he  was  very  tired.  Even  the  scent 
of  the  sandalwood  could  not  make  him 
fancy  he  was  warm.  The  world  seemed 
to  be  a  black  place,  full  of  suffering  and 
despair.  ^ 

"In  all  the  world,  1  have  no  friend," 
said  Hyacinthe,  staring  at  the  flame  of  the 
lamp.  "In  all  the  world,  there  is  no  one 
to  care  whether  I  live  or  die.  In  all  the 
world,  no  place,  no  heart,  no  love.  O 
kind  God,  is  there  a  place,  a  love  for  me 
in  another  world?" 

I  hope  you  feel  very  sorry  for  Hya- 
cinthe, lonely,  and  cold,  and  hungry,  shut 
up  in  the  workshop  on  the  eve  of  Christ- 
mas. He  was  but  an  overgrown,  unhappy 
child.  And  I  think  with  old  Madame 
that  for  unhappy  children,  at  this  season, 
no  help  seems  too  divine  for  faith. 

"There  is  no  one  to  care  for  me,"  ^id 
Hyacinthe.    And  he  even  looked  at  the 


To 

I 


child  in  hit  hand,  thinking  that  by  a  touch 
of  that  he  might  lose  it  all.  and  be  at 
peace,  (omewhere  not  far  from  God. 
Only  it  wa«  forbidden.  Then  came  the 
tears,  and  great  lobs  that  shook  him.  so  / 
that  he  scarcely  lu  ;d  the  gentle  rattling  ^ 
of  the  latch.  g 

He  stumbled  to  the  door,  opening  it  on  ^ 
the  still  woods  and  the  frosty  stars.    And 
a  lad  who  stood  outside  in  the  snow  said, 
"I  see  you  are  working  late,  comrade. 
May  I  come  in?" 

Hyacinlhe  brushed  his  ragged  sleeve 
across  his  eyes  and  nodded  "Yes."  1  hose 
little  villages  strung  along  the  great  river 
see  strange  wayfarers  at  times.  And 
Hyacinthe  said  to  himself  that  surely  here 
was  such  a  one.  Blinking  into  the  stran- 
ger's eyes,  he  lost  for  a  flash  the  first 
impression  of  youth,  and  received  one  of 
some  incredible  age  or  sadness.  But  the 
wanderer's  eyes  were  only  quiet,  very 
quiet,  like  the  little  pools  in  the  wood 
where  the  wild  does  went  to  drink.  As 
he  turned  within  the  door,  smiling  at  Hya- 
cinthe and  shaking  some  snow  from  his 
cap,  he  did  not  seem  to  be  more  than  six- 
teen or  so. 


""'^^^^fTYUBRMr 


> 


"It  it  very  cold  outade."  he  mmL 
"There  i«  •  big  oak  tree  on  the  edge  of 
the  fieldf  that  hM  iplit  in  the  fro*l  and 
frightened  all  the  little  tquineli  asleep 
there.  Next  year  it  will  make  an  even 
better  home  for  them.  And  lee  what  I 
found  cloie  by  I"  He  opened  hit  finger* 
and  showed  Hyacinthe  a  little  sparrow 
lying  unruffled  in  the  palm. 

"Pauvrellel"  said  the  dull  Hyacinthe. 
"Pauvretlel  I*  it  then  dead)"  He 
touched  it  >t(ith  a  gende  forefinger. 

"No,"  answered  the  stran-re  boy,  "it  it 
not  dead.  We  will  put  it  here  among  the 
shaving*,  not  far  from  the  lamp,  and  it 
will  be  well  by  die  morning." 

He  nailed  at  Hyacinthe  again,  and  die 
shambling  lad  felt  dimly  as  if  the  scent  of 
the  sandalwood  were  sweeter,  and  the 
lamp-flame  clearer.  But  the  stranger's 
eyes  were  only  quiet,  quiet. 

"Have  you  come  far?"  asked  Hya- 
cinthe. "It  is  a  bad  season  for  traveling, 
and  the  wolves  are  out." 

"A  long  way,"  saia  the  other.  "A 
long,  long  way.  I  heard  a  child  cry " 

"There  is  no  child  here,"  put  in  Hya- 
cinthe.   "Monsieur  L'Oreillard  says  chil- 


"/  see  fou  are  vmlpng  late, 
comrait.    Maf  I  come  inf" 


dren  cost  too  much  money.  But  if  you 
have  come  far,  you  must  need  food  and 
fire,  and  I  have  neither.  At  the  Cinq 
Chateaux  you  will  find  both." 

Tlie  stranger  looked  at  him  again  vyith 
those  quiet  eyes,  and  Hyacinthe  fancied 
that  his  face  was  familiar.  "I  will  stay 
here,"  he  said ;  "you  are  late  at  work,  and 
you  are  unhappy." 

"Why  as  to  that,"  answered  Hya- 
cinthe, rubbing  his  cheeks  and  ashamed  of 
his  tears,  "nvost  of  us  are  sad  at  one  time 
or  another,  the  good  God  knows.  Stay 
here  and  welcome  if  it  pleases  you;  and 
you  may  take  a  share  of  my  bed,  though 
it  is  no  more  th^r;  u  pile  of  balsam  boughs 
and  an  old  blanket  in  the  loft.  But  I 
must  work  at  this  cabinet,  for  the  drawers 
must  be  finished  and  the  handles  put  on 
and  the  comers  carved,  all  by  the  holy 
morning;  or  my  wages  will  be  paid  with 
a  stick." 

"You  have  a  hard  master,"  put  in  the 
other,  "if  he  would  pay  you  with  blows 
upon  the  feast  of  Noel." 

"He  is  hard  enou^,"  said  Hyacinthe, 
"but  once  he  gave  me  a  dinner  of  sau- 
sages and  white  wine;  and  once,  in  the 


summer,  melons.     If  my  eyes  will 
open,  I  will  finish  this  by  morning, 
with  me  an  hour  or  so,  comrade,  and  talk 
to  me  of  your  travels,  so  that  the  time  may 
pass  more  quickly." 

"I  will  tell  you  of  the  country  where  I 
was  a  child,"  answered  the  stranger. 

And  while  Hyacinthe  worked,  he  told, 
— of  sunshine  and  dust,  of  the  shadow  of 
vine-leaves  on  the  flat  white  walls  of  a 
house;  of  rosy  doves  on  the  roof;  of  the 
flowers  that  come  out  in  the  spring,  anemo- 
nes crimson  and  blue,  and  white  cyclamen 
in  the  shadow  of  the  rocks;  of  the  olive, 
the  myrtle,  and  the  almond;  until  Hya- 
cinthe's  fingers  ceased  working,  and  his 
sleepy  eyes  blinked  wonderingly. 

"Seo  what  you  have  done,  comrade," 
he  said  at  last,  "you  have  told  me  of  such 
pretty  things  that  I  have  done  but  little 
work  for  an  hour.  And  now  the  cabinet 
will  never  be  finished,  and  I  shall  be 
beaten." 

"Let  me  help  you,"  smiled  the  other, 
"I  also  was  bred  a  carpenter." 

At  first  Hyacinthe  would  not,  fearing 
to  trust  the  sweet  wood  out  of  his  own 
hands.     But  at  length  he  allowed  the 


11  stay    M^ 
Stay    ifjL 


\ 


stranger  to  fit  in  one  of  the  little  drawer*. 
And  M  deftly  was  it  done  that  Hya- 
cinthe  pounded  his  fists  on  the  bench  in 
admiration.  "You  have  a  pretty  knack." 
he  cried.  "It  seemed  as  if  you  did  but 
hold  the  drawer  in  your  hands  a  moment, 
and  hey  I  hoi  it  jumped  into  its  place." 

"Let  me  fit  in  the  other  little  drawers 
while  you  rest  awhile,"  said  the  stranger. 
So  Hyacinthe  curled  up  among  the  shav- 
ings, and  the  odier  boy  fell  to  work  upon  . 
the  little  cabinet  of  sandalwood. 

Hyacinthe  was  very  tired.  He  lay 
still  among  the  Savings,  and  thought  of 
all  the  other  boy  had  told  him,  of  the  hill- 
side flowers,  the  lauding  leaves,  the 
golden  bloom  of  the  anise,  and  the  golden 
sun  upon  the  roads  until  he  was  warm. 
And  all  the  time  the  boy  with  the  quiet 
eyes  was  at  work  upon  die  cabinet, 
smoothing,  fitting,  polishing. 

"You  do  better  work  than  I."  said 
Hyacinthe  once,  and  the  stranger  an- 
swered, "I  was  lovingly  tau{^t."  And 
again  Hyacinthe  said,  "It  is  growing  to- 
wards morning.  In  a  little  while  I  will 
get  up  and  help  you." 


"Lie  still  and  rest,"  said  the  other  boy. 
And  Hyacinthe  lay  still.  His  thoughts 
began  to  slide  into  dreams,  and  he  woke 
with  a  little  start,  for  there  seemed  to  be 
music  in  the  shed;  thou^  he  could  not  tell 
whether  it  came  from  the  strange  boy's 
lips,  or  from  die  shabby  tools  as  he  used 
them,  or  from  the  stars. 

rhe  stars  are  much  paler,"  thought 
Hyacinthe.  "Soon  it  will  be  morning, 
and  the  comers  are  not  carved  yet.  I 
must  get  up  and  help  this  kind  one  in  a 
little  moment.  Only  the  music  and  the 
sweetness  seem  to  fold  me  close,  so  that  I 
may  not  move." 

Then  behmd  the  forest  there  shone  a 
pale  glow  of  dawn,  and  in  Terminaison 
the  church  bells  began  to  ring.  "Day  will 
soon  be  here,"  thought  Hycuinthe,  "and 
with  day  will  come  Monsieur  L'Oreillard 
and  his  stick.  I  must  get  up  and  help, 
for  even  yet  the  comers  are  not  carved." 

But  the  stranger  looked  at  him,  smiling 
as  though  he  loved  him,  and  laid  his 
brown  finger  lig}>*ly  on  the  four  empty 
comers  of  the  ci  inet.  And  Hyacinthe^ 
saw  the  squares  of  reddish  wood  ripple 
and  heave  and  break,  as  little  clouds  when . 


L'  the  wind  goes  throu«}i  the  iky.    And  out 

^    of  them  thrust  forth  die  little  birds,  and 

■%^  after  them  the  lilies,  for  a  moment  living; 

W   but  even  as  Hyacinthe  looked,  settling 

back  into  the  sweet  reddish-brown  wood. 

Then  the  stranger  smiled  again,  laid  all 

the  tools  in  order,  and.  opening  the  door, 

went  away  into  the  woods. 

Hyacinthe  crept  slowly  to  the  door. 
The  winter  sun,  half  risen,  filled  all  the 
frosty  air  with  splendid  goki.  Far  down 
the  road  a  figwe  seemed  to  move  amid  the 
glory,  but  the  splendor  was  such  that 
Hyacinthe  was  bl'nded.  His  breath  came 
sharply  as  the  glow  beat  on  the  wretched 
shed,  on  the  old  Savings,  on  the  cabinet 
with  the  little  birds  and  the  lilies  carved  at 
the  comers. 

He  was  too  pure  of  heart  to  feel  afraid. 
But  "Blessed  be  the  Lord,"  whiq>ered 
Hyacinthe,  clasping  his  slow  hands,  "for 
he  hath  visited  and  redeemed  His  people. 
But  who  will  believe?" 

Then  the  sun  of  Christ's  day  rose  glori- 
ously, and  the  little  sparrow  came  from 
his  nest  among  the  shavings  and  shook  his 
Wings  to  the  Iig}it. 


